Following almost annihilating the world, the relatives have become friends’: the gripping podcast from John F. Kennedy & Khrushchev’s relatives.

During October 1962, the planet edged closer to annihilation more so than ever during modern times. This transpired following the discovery that a US surveillance plane discovered the fact that Soviet atomic missile installations were under construction on the island of Cuba, a mere 100 miles from American soil. In response, President JFK directed a naval task force to impose a maritime blockade around the island. What followed was nearly a fortnight of extreme anxiety.

The Unthinkable Danger

The threat remained palpable. If President Kennedy, or his Russian opposite, Premier Khrushchev, were to fire against the other side, a series of worldwide nuclear attacks followed by counterstrikes could have ensued, thrusting humanity into total oblivion.

The October crisis has been documented extensively, in books, movies, and television programmes. However, for its third season, a prominent audio documentary series titled "The Bomb" presents a completely new element into the story. It is co-presented featuring Max Kennedy alongside Khrushchev's descendant, family members belonging to the men that, for 13 days, held the destiny of the world within their grasp.

"What were the Russians planning? What were Washington considering?" ponders Nina Khrushcheva, Khrushchev’s great-granddaughter and a professor of international affairs.

In her view, the strength of the podcast is its attempt to question: "How can individuals hate one another and confront each other?"

"It was not lost on me how remarkable the fact that individuals have the potential to be allies or else can become total adversaries," adds Kennedy, son of RFK, related to the late president and now a writer and lawyer. "We see this dynamic repeatedly when countries have gone to war, demonstrating the profound irrationality it is to fight."

The Precipice Towards Disaster

What is notable regarding the Cuban missile crisis is that, since it unfolded in the global spotlight, people around the world were able to observe almost as it happened while it moved closer to catastrophe. Even so, the danger of annihilation came closer than what most people understood at the time.

"The overwhelming majority among Kennedy's advisors were advocating for an airstrike and an invasion," notes Kennedy. "Had the U.S. struck the Cubans using the Sixth Fleet, it is certain the Russians stationed there would've deployed a tactical nuclear weapon at the US Sixth Fleet, and that would have sunk the naval vessels as well as destroyed our largest and most important naval force. In turn, we would have retaliated through an overwhelming counterattack which would have eradicated most life on the planet."

The fact this did not occur highlights the composure of both leaders, they managed to exercise restraint and engaging in diplomacy at a time when many advisors around them were advocating action. Consequently, Khrushchev removed the nuclear weapons in Cuba while President Kennedy (although not reported at the time) removed American missiles from NATO ally Turkey. The sense of relief was palpable, matched by a feeling of hope.

The Divergent Perspective

Yet, during those 13 days of October 1962, the tension was palpable globally. The podcast's co-hosts came into the world in the years following these events, with Khrushcheva learned about it via the Soviet education system, which painted a slightly different version of what happened.

"As you mentioned your parent remembers it, describing it as a scary day," Khrushcheva notes. "But for Soviet citizens, the public really didn’t know a great deal regarding the crisis, since it was a tense situation, and in the Soviet Union the official line was that things are constantly wonderful or positive."

Inside the Khrushchev household, though, it was distinct. "They told me what a great moment it was, as it was eyeball to eyeball. They were able to resolve it, thus avoided a global war, which was a positive thing," she adds. In the years to come, though, that perspective was not shared by everybody. "For a long time within Russian historical analysis, the crisis was viewed as a failure for Khrushchev, because he refrained from destroying America."

An Unprecedented Collaboration

The Bomb is remarkably even-handed and expertly crafted so much so that Nina jokes it almost made her forget the known the ending. This is, in part, thanks to contributions from historians. But, really, the most momentous aspect remains the participation of the hosts themselves. Even within living memory, it would be inconceivable that relatives of the leaders of America and the Soviet Union would appear side by side. That these two individuals are able to do so, and exhibit such warmth with each other, must be seen as a symbol of optimism.

"Max and I are not the pioneers," smiles Khrushcheva. "Following 1991, a relative moved to America where he became great friends with the former president's family."

"However we were strangers prior to this project," clarifies Max. "Which is unfortunate since we connected immediately and now we’re friends, which is really great. Ultimately, following nearly six decades since almost destroying the planet, our lineages have become friends, so I think global relations is safer, a little bit."

Contemporary Echoes with Present Dangers

Or is it? Part of the reason The Bomb seems so urgent is that we now are living in dark times. The symbolic clock of doom is closer to midnight in its history, in part because today's statesmen don’t seem to be able to learn